CBS This Morning

Kerry focuses 1st trip as top diplomat on Syria

(CBS News) John Kerry is in London on Monday, day-one of an 11-day "listening tour" -- his first official trip as secretary of state -- focused on solutions in the Middle East. CBS News' Margaret Brennan reports that State Department officials say the U.S. and Europe are "more strategically aligned than ever" in their efforts to both pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear program and to isolate Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Despite pressure to garner more support from the international community, the U.S. and Europe have not provided military aid to end the conflict in Syria, which has killed up to 70,000 people. And, Secretary Kerry's efforts to broker a political transition in war-torn Syria suffered a setback when the president of the Syrian Opposition Council canceled upcoming meetings with the U.S. and Moscow, as reports emerged that some opposition members question the value of the meetings.

Kerry sent his top envoy to the region yesterday to make a more personal attempt to persuade the opposition party to meet with him this week. Later Monday, Kerry will head to Berlin to meet with German officials.